Consequences of the Spirituality of God

If God be a spirit, it follows of necessity that He is a person -- a
self-conscious, intelligent, voluntary agent. As all this is involved
in our consciousness of ourselves as spirit, it must all be true of
God, or God is of a lower order of being than man.


It follows also that God is a simple Being, not only as not composed
of different elements, but also as not admitting of the distinction
between substance and accidents. Nothing can either be added to, or
taken from God. In this view the simplicity, as well as the other
attributes of God, are of a higher order than the corresponding
attributes of our spiritual nature. The soul of man is a simple
substance; but it is subject to change. It can gain and lose
knowledge, holiness, and power. These are in this view accidents in
our substance. But in God they are attributes, essential and
immutable.


Finally, it follows from God's being a spirit, that He is a moral as
well as an intelligent Being. It is involved in the very nature of
rational voluntary being, that it should be conformed to the rule of
right, which in the case of God is his own infinite reason. These are
primary truths, which are not to be sacrificed to any speculative
objections. It is vain to tell us that an infinite spirit cannot be a
person, because personality implies self-consciousness, and
self-consciousness implies the distinction between the self and the
not-self, and this is a limitation. It is equally vain to say that God
cannot have moral excellence, because moral goodness implies
conformity to law, and conformity to law again is inconsistent with
the idea of an absolute Being. These are empty speculations; and even
if incapable of a satisfactory solution, would afford no rational
ground for rejecting the intuitive truths of reason and conscience.
There are mysteries enough in our nature, and yet no sane man denies
his own personal existence and moral accountability. And he is worse
than insane who is beguiled by such sophistries into renouncing his
faith in God as a personal Spirit and a loving Father. Hodge v 1 p 389

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Life / Work

1. Kathee worked until 6:45 tonight. I was exhausted waiting for her
   
2. I watched much of the President's speech on Iraq tonight and read the transcript. I am still sorting out how I feel about his decision to spend more troops.
   
3. Roger working late and Rachel is out
   

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President Bush’s Address to the Nation